SUSD police union makes public appeal for raise

Tuesday

Mar 11, 2014 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - The Stockton Unified School District is inching closer to hiring a new police chief to take the helm of a department described by some to be in "disarray." And now, its police officers union has publicly asked for a raise.

Keith Reid

STOCKTON - The Stockton Unified School District is inching closer to hiring a new police chief to take the helm of a department described by some to be in "disarray." And now, its police officers union has publicly asked for a raise.

SUSD Police Officers Association President Officer Mario Gates said he and his unit are seeking an 11.5 percent raise over the next three years. Gates said a commitment at that level from administrators would tell officers they're valued and would help the department retain its staff in a time when the Stockton Police Department is actively recruiting for applicants and other neighboring agencies offer higher pay.

Gates said the union was "insulted" by a recent 1 percent pay raise offer and wants to state publicly that the "line-level" officers in the district department are not "Keystone Cops," something he said could be the public perception as administrators undergo a change in command and have been the subject of an audit that could cost as much as $100,000 to complete.

"As a unit, we're paid 26 percent under what neighboring agencies make," said Gates, who has been with the SUSD Police Department for two years. "That means there's a lot of turnover. The department is used as a steppingstone for (officers) fresh out of the academy. It's a revolving door."

Stockton Unified officers have a pay scale of $3,932 to $4,782 a month, Gates said. The department is allocated 21 officers but has only 14 on active duty. The department has lost two officers to the Galt Police Department in recent months and another to Stockton police.

Stockton Unified officials did not comment specifically on negotiations.

Superintendent Steve Lowder admitted that the department does not offer the same pay as municipal agencies and cannot provide the same kind of career advancement opportunities. There are no special units or task forces for officers to join for extra stipends or pay bumps.

"Every dollar we spend on police is money that could be used to educate kids. So we have to keep a sharp focus on safety of our students, our staff and facilities," Lowder said.

Stockton Unified officers on the "line level" typically serve in one of two roles, Gates said. They are either school resource officers - like those assigned to high schools - or on patrol to cover the needs of elementary school sites.

Gates pointed to a recent lockdown at Chavez High, where officers were called to investigate the report of a person with a gun. Officers, even though short-staffed, got to campus quickly to determine there was no gunman at the school.

"All of the talk of Keystone Cops and the department being in disarray, that's not the fault of the line-level guys," Gates said, adding that the department is "undercompensated, understaffed, undertrained, underequipped and lacking strong leadership."

Lowder agreed, saying he believed the department is staffed with "good people."

Stockton Unified has worked to stabilize the leadership in recent months.

Since former Police Chief Jim West retired in August, the district has hired two interim chiefs and has identified Bryon Gustafson, 40, who currently holds a post at the Department of Justice Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, as its next chief.

The district has also commissioned a department audit by former Rocklin Police Chief Mark Siemens, which is expected to produce a report with ways the SUSD Police Department can implement better overall practices.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/edublog and on Twitter @KReidme.